Name: Tandang Selo
Sex: M
Race: Indio
Occupation: (former) woodcutter, broom-maker
Aliases:
Affiliations: tulisanes
Background
Tandang Selo was a woodcutter who lived in the forests of San Diego. Not much is known about his life before living with his son Tales. After retiring from woodcutting, he started making brooms. When Tales was an adult and started managing his own farm, Tandang Selo was supportive and eventually moved with the family to Sagpang barrio, where they currently live. Tandang Selo and his granddaughter Juli are the only ones living in Cabesang Tales’ house at the beginning of El Filibusterismo (El Fili) because Cabesang tales has been kidnapped by the tulisanes. The two are trying to raise money to pay for his ransom.
Story
Chapter 4: Tandang Selo is first introduced as the father of Telesforo / “Cabesang Tales”. Cabesang Tales’ story is explained. Tandang Selo was supportive of Cabesang Tales making his own farm. They were successful and the family moved to a house in Sagpang barrio, Tiani. When a religious order claimed their fields and charged Cabesang Tales for them, Tandang Selo told Cabesang Tales that getting a lawyer would waste his money and that he should pretend that he gambled it away or a crocodile ate it. The friars raised the rent and Tandang Selo kept telling Cabesang Tales to be patient and keep pretending that crocodiles kept getting his money.
As more money issues popped up and the rental price kept increasing, Tandang Selo continued to advise Cabesang Tales to not argue with the people demanding money. Eventually, the rental price got so high that Cabesang Tales refused to pay, and would not allow his lands to be taken. The judges sided with friars and Cabesang Tales became tense, so Tandang Selo stopped speaking to him.
At that point in the story, Cabesang Tales has been captured by the tulisanes who are demanding a ransom. Juli decides to become a maid to get money to free her father, but Tandang Selo is upset and threatens to return to the forest. He refuses to eat, and the next day Juli leaves him in the house.
Chapter 8: On Christmas Day, Tandang Selo realizes he has no one to give gifts to. Juli has left and he wonders why she did not greet him Merry Christmas. Relatives visit Tandang Selo and suddenly he can no longer speak, so the women cry out that he has become mute.
Chapter 9: When Cabesang Tales returns, he goes to his house and finds out that Juli is a maid and Tandang Selo is mute. Cabesang Tales sits beside him and does not speak.
Chapter 11: Tandang Selo is mentioned during the meeting at Los Banos. His arrest is the final topic the secretary wants to discuss with Capitan General, as it is revealed that because Cabesang Tales went missing, Tandang Selo was arrested instead. The secretary explains that Juli is asking for Tandang Selo to be freed.
Capitan General tells the secretary to send a note to the teniente of the guardia civil to release Tandang Selo to show they are forgiving and compassionate.
Chapter 30: Tandang Selo is referred to as an “old man” who visits the convent after hearing reports that Juli leapt to her death. He is not allowed in, and tries to visit all the official’s houses but finds out that they are all in the convent. Tandang Selo returns to his barrio, crying. The next day, Tandang Selo disappears with his spear.
Chapter 32: Tandang Selo is mentioned by the cochero Sinong, who updates Basilio of news in Tiani. Basilio is told that Tandang Selo has gone missing after Juli’s death.
Chapter 38: Tandang Selo is one of the bandits who attacks a group of soldiers who are beating prisoners. The group shoots Mautang dead, but the soldiers shoot back. After Carolino (who is actually Tano) shoots a figure who is holding up his rifle and yelling at Tano, another man (revealed later to be Tandang Selo) comes out holding a lance. The soldiers shoot him and then move closer as he is dying on a rock.
A guard stabs Tandang Selo with a bayonet but Tandang Selo doesn’t notice, instead looking at Tano and pointing behind him. Tano recognizes Tandang Selo and Tandang Selo continues pointing behind the rocks, at Cabesang Tales’ body.
Physical Description
Tandang Selo’s hair is described is white. For his age, he is in good health. From Chapter 8 onward, Tandang Selo becomes unable to speak after realizing he is alone.
Personality
Tandang Selo prefers to live a simple life. He is mostly quiet, and the few times he is mentioned as talking, it’s to give advice to family members, such as when he reminds Cabesang Tales to be patient. He does not hide his feelings and shows very clearly when he is upset. When Juli tells him she is going to become a maid, he refuses to eat and threatens to go back to the forest to get her to stay (Chapter 4). However, even when Tandang Selo disagrees with someone’s actions, he does not stop them.
After Juli’s death, Tandang Selo becomes different. He leaves the barrio and becomes a terrorist, working with his son Cabesang Tales. But his love for his family never changes, and Tandang Selo is shot when he refuses to attack his grandson Tano. He dies without noticing that he is being stabbed, instead trying to tell Tano the whole time that Cabesang Tales is also there.
Skills
Patience
Tandang Selo is a very patient person, and always advises his son to do the same. He does not get bothered when the friars keep raising the prices for renting farmlands, and tries to tell Cabesang Tales to pretend that crocodiles keep eating the money instead. Tandang Selo quickly accepts when nothing can be done, and prefers to wait for a problem to work itself out. In Chapter 11, he willingly lets himself get arrested instead of Cabesang Tales. But when Juli dies, Tandang Selo’s attitude changes and he decides to fight back, joining Cabesang Tales in terrorizing provinces.
Relationships
See Relationships of Tandang Selo
Beliefs
On Justice
“In lawsuits, he who wins is left without a shirt.” (Tandang Selo, Chapter 4)
Tandang Selo does not believe in the justice system and prefers to avoid conflict by just agreeing to the other person’s demands. He advises Cabesang Tales to just do what the friars say, even when they unfairly raise rent prices over many years. To make Cabesang Tales feel better, Tandang Selo suggests pretending he lost the money in a different way instead. He believes getting lawyers and other officials involved is more trouble than its worth. Even when arrested in place of Cabesang Tales, Tandang Selo does not seem to resist or try to get out of jail.
His perspective changes after Juli dies. Tandang Selo tries to confront the priests and officials involved but is turned away, so he becomes a tulisanes and terrorizes towns with Cabesang Tales, not caring if they harm innocent people.
Trivia
Quotes
“Patience!” (Chapter 4)
